Fearing to touch Him themselves, and finding no foothold against Him according to the Mosaic law, His enemies sought to bring Christ into collision with the civil power. To do this, no hypocrisy was too mean.
So poor was our Lord that He must needs ask them to furnish the penny or drachma. Caesar has a certain claim on us. He has earned certain rights of homage and tribute by preserving the good order of society and the safety of our persons; but there his authority ends. When he intrudes into the realm of conscience, he is a usurper. In that kingdom he has no claims whatever.
We must give Caesar his dues. They can be paid in the coin of earth's mintage; but he has no claim on our conscience, faith, love. These bear the mint-mark of God, and to God they must be rendered. Ah, soul! Thou belongest to the great King; thou art stamped with His image and superscription! Give Him thyself! [source]
Chapter Summary: Luke 20
1Jesus confirms his authority by a question of John's baptism 9The parable of the vineyard 19Of giving tribute to Caesar 27He instructs the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection 41How Jesus is the Son of David 45He warns his disciples to beware of the scribes
Greek Commentary for Luke 20:22
Tribute [πορον] Old word for the annual tax on land, houses, etc. Mark and Matthew have κηνσον kēnson The picture on the coin may have been that of Tiberius. [source]
Tribute [φόρον] From φέρω , to bring. Something, therefore, which is brought in by way of payment. Luke uses the Greek word instead of the Latin κῆνσον , censusin Matthew and Mark. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 20:22
Romans 13:6Tribute [πορους] Old word from περω pherō to bring, especially the annual tax on lands, etc. (Luke 20:22; Luke 23:1). Paying taxes recognizes authority over us. Ministers of God‘s service (λειτουργοι τεου leitourgoi theou). Late word for public servant (unused λειτος leitos from Attic λεως leōs people, and εργω ergō to work). Often used of military servants, servants of the king, and temple servants (Hebrews 8:2). Paul uses it also of himself as Christ‘s λειτουργος leitourgos (Romans 15:16) and of Epaphroditus as a minister to him (Philemon 2:25). See τεου διακονος theou diakonos in Romans 13:4. Attending continually Present active participle of the late verb προσκαρτερεω proskartereō (προς pros and καρτερεω kartereō from καρτος kartos or κρατος kratos strength) to persevere. See note on Acts 2:42 and note on Acts 8:13. [source]
Romans 13:7To whom tribute is due [τωι τον πορον] We must supply a participle with the article τωι tōi like απαιτουντι apaitounti (“to the one asking tribute”). So with the other words (to whom custom, τωι το τελος απαιτουντι tōi to telos apaitounti to whom fear, τωι τον ποβον απαιτουντι tōi ton phobon apaitounti to whom honour, τωι την τιμην απαιτουντι tōi tēn timēn apaitounti). Πορος Phoros is the tribute paid to a subject nation (Luke 20:22), while τελος telos is tax for support of civil government (Matthew 17:25). [source]
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: Καῖσαρ
Sense: the surname of Julius Caesar, which adopted by Octavius Augustus and his successors afterwards became a title, and was appropriated by the Roman emperors as part of their title.
Greek Commentary for Luke 20:22
Old word for the annual tax on land, houses, etc. Mark and Matthew have κηνσον kēnson The picture on the coin may have been that of Tiberius. [source]
From φέρω , to bring. Something, therefore, which is brought in by way of payment. Luke uses the Greek word instead of the Latin κῆνσον , censusin Matthew and Mark. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 20:22
Old word from περω pherō to bring, especially the annual tax on lands, etc. (Luke 20:22; Luke 23:1). Paying taxes recognizes authority over us. Ministers of God‘s service (λειτουργοι τεου leitourgoi theou). Late word for public servant (unused λειτος leitos from Attic λεως leōs people, and εργω ergō to work). Often used of military servants, servants of the king, and temple servants (Hebrews 8:2). Paul uses it also of himself as Christ‘s λειτουργος leitourgos (Romans 15:16) and of Epaphroditus as a minister to him (Philemon 2:25). See τεου διακονος theou diakonos in Romans 13:4. Attending continually Present active participle of the late verb προσκαρτερεω proskartereō (προς pros and καρτερεω kartereō from καρτος kartos or κρατος kratos strength) to persevere. See note on Acts 2:42 and note on Acts 8:13. [source]
We must supply a participle with the article τωι tōi like απαιτουντι apaitounti (“to the one asking tribute”). So with the other words (to whom custom, τωι το τελος απαιτουντι tōi to telos apaitounti to whom fear, τωι τον ποβον απαιτουντι tōi ton phobon apaitounti to whom honour, τωι την τιμην απαιτουντι tōi tēn timēn apaitounti). Πορος Phoros is the tribute paid to a subject nation (Luke 20:22), while τελος telos is tax for support of civil government (Matthew 17:25). [source]